by catsblog | Nov 27, 2023 | Joy, Spiritual Growth
Think about this for a moment. You open your eyes after spending most of the night tossing and turning over worries that you can’t do a darn thing about. You went to a gas station yesterday, and half a tank, all you could afford, put such a dent in your wallet that you need to take items off your grocery list.
The trip to the store, where you purchased the barest of necessities, threw you into a deep depression. You spent the rest of the day grumbling and complaining before going to bed, upset and disgusted. It’s not a wonder that you didn’t sleep well.
You lie in your bed, too tired to face another challenging day. So, what do you do to turn things around? Make up your mind to think about good things and not all the negative stuff happening in the world. Find some joy in the little things.
Take a walk and revel in birds chirping or the wind whipping through the trees.
Smile at the lady walking her dog and tell her how cute he is. 🐕
Say hello to a squirrel happily eating a pine nut. 🐿️
Thank God that you were able to afford the milk that you poured into your cereal.
Thank Him for your health. If you never got COVID, thank God. If you got it and got through it, thank Him. If you lost someone to it, be glad they are in a much better place.
There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. I believe with all my heart that spending time being grateful leads to a joyful life. Philippians 4:8 gives us some fabulous instructions.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Can you be grumpy and grateful at the same time? I don’t think it’s possible. Do you want to experience true joy? Then, be thankful. Fill your thoughts with the good times, the wonderful people God has placed in your life, and the trials He brought you through. That should put a smile on your face and a skip in your step. 😁
Takeaway: You need to think about what you are thinking about. If you want to feel joyful, think about the good things in life and get your mind off the bad. It’s not always easy, but it will change your life for the better.
by catsblog | Feb 13, 2023 | Spiritual Growth
This is one of my favorite clichés. I am fond of it because it has played out in my life over and over again. Proverbs 16:9 in my Living Bible says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”
If I’ve learned one thing since I rededicated my life to Christ, it’s that His plans are always better than mine. I can attest to praying and believing for something that would not have worked out well for me if I’d gotten my way.
I may not always be happy about God’s timing. Patience is not one of my virtues. Oh my gosh! Did I use another cliché?
The bottom line is to trust God and pray; you will always be headed the right way. Now I’m a poet and don’t know it!
by catsblog | Jul 4, 2021 | Patriotism, Politics, Spiritual Growth
The Fourth of July and the celebration of the birth of our nation is tomorrow. Sadly, too many people view the day as a holiday consisting of backyard barbeques and fireworks. The reason for the observance is completely lost on them. This is especially prominent in people under the age of fifty. For the most part, Millennials and Generation Z are clueless about the significance of July Fourth because of the indoctrination in our schools. The educational system has been biased and broken for a very long time. Instead of wearing pride in your country as a badge of honor, it’s now seen as racist. It’s a sad state of affairs.
In my humble opinion, our nation hasn’t experienced a state of unrest like the current one since the civil war. It isn’t politicians that are going to fix it either. They are the reason that we are in this horrible mess, but we voted them into office. We failed to hold them accountable when they didn’t follow through with their campaign promises. We just tsk, tsked when they got caught in out-and-out lies. We stopped demanding truth and justice. But, it didn’t happen overnight. We have been like the frog that was boiled alive because the temperature of the water was turned up slowly. If he was thrown into the pot while the water was boiling, he would have been smart and hopped out. But, when the heat was turned up slowly, he didn’t notice he was being cooked. 
It’s going to require a ton of effort from patriotic, dedicated, God-fearing citizens to turn this critical situation around. We can only right the wrongs if people like those who fought against England’s tyranny take a stand and say no to the oppression our country is facing now. We are a free nation because of the sacrifices of millions that put their lives on the line for their beliefs in the country they cherished. Are you ready to stand and fight for our country and return it to its foundation as one nation under God? The Left wants to erase our history that refers to God and the godly individuals that founded this country. They have already done it in our schools from elementary to our universities. It is precisely why so many young people today have no appreciation for the sacrifices of our men and women in the military or our flag. It’s time to tell this tyrannical administration that we are not going to take this anymore!
God’s people need to stand up and stop this train wreck. We have been wimpy and apathetic for WAY too long. We played into the enemy’s hands when in the guise of tolerance, we ignored the truth. We paid no attention to the distortions of facts that the public school system was cramming down our kid’s throats. Many people, including Christians, believe that Thomas Jefferson’s intent with the establishment clause of separation of church and state was to keep the church out of the state when the opposite is true. His intent was to make sure that the state didn’t dictate how the church operated. A testament to the fact is that the Washington Monument and hundreds, if not thousands of historical shrines refer to God and scripture. God’s people built this beloved country, and it’s time for His people to take it back.
Christians stood silent when the government took prayer and the Bible out of our schools. They failed to stand together and fight to stop Roe v Wade. Statistics tell us that over 62 million babies have been aborted since its inception. I, like many others, believed in the “Woman’s right to choose” doctrine. Where did I get the idea that it was okay to kill babies as a means of birth control? It certainly wasn’t at church. I was indoctrinated by the educational system in that belief. I don’t recall the churches that we attended speaking out against it at the time either. I believe wholeheartedly that if God’s people and churches had united to stop the travesty of Roe v Wade, it would never have gotten past the Supreme Court. I have my own Planned Parenthood story, but that’s for another day. Suffice it to say that I am pro-life and don’t want a penny of my hard-earned money going to Planned Parenthood. I’m not alone in this by any stretch of the imagination. Surveys say that 7 out of 10 Americans don’t want to pay for abortions with their tax dollars.
Speaking of surveys, in a 2018–19 survey, 65% of adults in the United States identified themselves as Christians. That’s down from 75% in 2015. The moral fiber of our nation has declined in leaps and bounds, yet 65% of our country identifies as Christian. If we all acted like Jesus’ followers and adhered to the moral beliefs of the Bible, we wouldn’t have government offices filled with ungodly people, socialists, Marxists, and thieves. I know the pool to choose from has been bleak. It’s taken decades of slow decay and a heck of a lot of apathetic and lazy Christians to get us to this point. In our effort not to be labeled intolerant, we became wimpy do-nothings. We stood by while the loons on the Left dismantled our United States Constitution, disrespected our flag, our military, and law enforcement. They steal our tax dollars to fund their agendas and pad their bank accounts while many major cities have fallen entirely through the cracks.
Nancy Pelosi’s district is one of the worst in the country. She has somehow been re-elected time and time again, despite having done nothing for her constituents in 34 years in office. I personally believe that voter fraud has been going on for a lot longer than any of us know. Who in their right mind would vote for representatives like Pelosi and Maxine Waters, even in crazy California?
Let me ask you? Do you identify yourself as a Christian?
n.1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.
I thought I’d share that because I believe many people profess to be Christian when they don’t even know what that means. You can’t call yourself a Christ-follower and say that it’s okay to abort babies. Jeremiah 1:4 says, The Lord said to me, “I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb; before you were born I sanctified you and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” How many of God’s spokespeople have been ripped from their mother’s wombs through abortion? If God knows us all before we are even born, we all matter to Him. How can you call yourself a Christian and go along with the atrocity of abortion? It’s wrong on so many levels.
Isaiah 5:20 is currently being played out in our world. “They say that what is right is wrong, and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” The current crazy administration is sanctioning lawlessness. They announced to illegal immigrants that’s it’s okay to crash our borders and come here without going through legal channels. The damage it is doing to our country is unfathomable. Murders, rapists, and thieves are pouring into our country because of Biden’s policies. This should infuriate you, even if you are a Democrat. Heroin, Cocaine, and Fentanyl are once again flooding into our country from the southern border. Our President Trump had curtailed that traffic by initiating sensible policies and building our border wall. Biden got rid of all of them with a pen stroke only days after stepping into the office he stole. He has been worse than I even imagined.
It’s time to make some noise, people! It’s time to pray without ceasing that this travesty will not be allowed to continue. I believe that God has allowed the situation to go this far because many people, including Christians, refused to believe the truth about the election. They refused to accept the fact that the destruction of our country is what the democrats seek. The people that sit in front of their televisions eating up all of the lies the fake media throws at them need to wake the heck up! What will it take to open the eyes of those in denial? Are you not witnessing the crisis at the border, fuel prices through the roof, loss of jobs, an inflation rate at its highest increase since August of 2008, and a bumbling president that embarrasses our country every time he opens his mouth?
There is hope if the church will unite. If we will pray and seek God for guidance, He will show us what to do. We need to trust and believe that He will clean up this mess. We need to start talking about the great things He is already doing through this crisis and stop concentrating on the negative. I’ve remarked to many Christians that I am still praying and believing for the restoration of our country, and they act like I’ve lost my mind. They tell me that they are praying too, but they don’t see how we can change things. It’s bigger than us, folks. God can change anything. How can people that believe in Christ and the Bible not believe that He can fix this mess? How can you say that our God who parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites could walk across dry land can’t expose a fraud like the 2020 election? Why are you so sure that He has deserted America?
America certainly deserves to have God turn His back on us. We turned ours on Him, but that’s not the way He rolls. As the opening scripture of this post says, if we will humble ourselves and seek Him, God will heal our land. We are God’s country. It’s time we started acting like it. Put Him back in our schools. Open up our churches and preach the Word without twisting it to appease the portioners so that your offering plates and seats are full. Call wrong, wrong, and right, right. If your church hasn’t taken a stand and opened its doors, I suggest finding another church. Find a Holy Spirit-filled church that ignites and empowers its people. We need godly people running for public offices. The school boards, city councils, supervisors’ offices, on up need people of integrity on them.
What are you going to do? How are you going to make a difference? Everyone can pray and believe. If that is all, you do it will make a difference. I believe that God loves America with all of my heart, and He will not let Satan take it. Trust me, the devil is shaking in his boots as he witnesses the revival that is underway. People are turning to Christ in record numbers. Renewal, restoration, and repentance is taking place on a global scale. Do not be dismayed. You are about to witness a monumental shift in this nation. I believe the free rein that God allowed Satan to have in this country is coming to an end. He knows it too. The great awakening that is taking place should embolden you to speak out for God and His people. You should be fed up with the censorship of Social Media and the lies of the mainstream media. You should be fighting mad that real news is no longer reported on except for a couple of conservative stations. The double standards of the democrats should make you livid, even if you are registered as a member of the party. You should be filled with outrage that our election was stolen. When all of the fraud and cheating is exposed, which it will be, you should want everything to be done to see that nothing like it ever happens again. If we allow this travesty to continue, it will be the end of our country as we know it.
Please, take a stand and let your voice be heard. Even if you never saw yourself in a position in the political arena, consider it. Write to those ding dongs in congress that forgot that they work for us and tell them how you feel. Wherever your sphere of influence is, use your voice and encourage others to pray and vote for godly people. You can make a difference. We all can. Let’s take our country back, folks. When you pray, do it with confidence. Believe it and receive it. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. You can’t pray for something while in the back of your mind believing it is impossible and expect your prayers to be answered. Let’s all unify in the belief that God will save this nation. Let’s all start talking about the revival, renewal, refreshing, and reset coming to our United States of America.
Are you with me? I hope that you are. Have a blessed 4th of July. Enjoy your family and your safe and sane fireworks. Just be sure to let your kids know what the celebration is about. Please feel free to add your prayers and positive comments to this post.
I look forward to sharing the positive energy. God is good, and He’s not done with us yet.
Blessings, Cat
by John Jacobus | Jun 18, 2021 | RV Travel, Spiritual Growth
I’m amazed by the changes that a renewed relationship with Christ made in me. The same woman that dreaded a trip to Costco by herself headed out alone on a seven-mile hike around Lake Siskiyou a couple of weeks ago. Who is this person?
I’m thrilled to say that I’m a woman after God’s own heart. I’ve grown leaps and bounds spiritually since rededicating my life to Christ in January of 2002. So much has happened since then, much of it expounded on in my memoir, Born Again in a Biker Bar It’s available on Amazon in case you are interested in hearing “the rest of the story.”
The last three years have been a whirlwind. The changes that took place before that came about more slowly. But, we are all a work in progress. If you aren’t where you want to be at this stage in your life, keep the faith and know that God works everything out for good in the lives of His kids. My husband, Tommy, and I are prime examples of that.
Our current position in life is nothing short of miraculous. As Ephesians 3:20 says: Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do abundantly more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. I thought the dreams I had for my life were lofty, but God has given me so much more than I dreamed of.
As I mentioned, we traveled to the Lake Siskiyou Campgrounds 90 miles north of our Shingletown home. We didn’t want to be on the property during our open house. We are joining in the mass exodus of loony, liberal, over-taxed, and overburdened California. Our beautiful home on six secluded acres is practically brand new. It’s a 1406 square-foot three-bedroom – two-bath modular home that was delivered to our property just over a year ago. We didn’t move into it until August because we were waiting on furniture. We sold or gave away almost everything when we left Hollister in August of 2019. The sale of that home was a fantastic story. More on that later.
Since selling Johnny’s Bar & Grill, which I owned and managed for over 22 years, we made three cross-country trips in our motorhome. We lived a full year in our RV when we sold our house in Hollister. We drove all the way to the Florida Keys. On the return trip to the west coast, we joined the Escapees RV Group for a visit to San Felipe, Mexico. It was a fantastic journey. We returned to our Shingletown property in March of 2020 but left for a southern location when it started snowing. We truly don’t like cold weather. We were in Winters, California, haha, when the Covid lockdowns first took place. Like everyone else, we thought the whole thing would blow over in a couple of weeks. How wrong we were.
The lockdowns made our furniture purchases a nightmare. Had I known that the 2020 elections would go so horribly and that lunatics like Pelosi and Waters would keep their Senate seats in California, I would have opted to shop at the Salvation Army. I had high hopes that things would change in the beautiful state that I was born and raised in. But, sadly, we can’t abide by the insane politics, laws, and taxes in this state any longer. So now we are selling the house that we haven’t even lived in for six months. We moved back into our motorhome to put our property on the market.
Tommy and I never really felt at home in the house. I believe that God didn’t let us get settled in Shingletown because He knew that we would be leaving it and California in our rearview mirror soon. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a gorgeous home in an extraordinary setting. We are surrounded by forest. It’s very secluded. Our only two neighbors are great folks that are too far away to see. Sadly, the property is in the wrong state. Shingletown is much more conservative territory than Hollister, but it’s still California. If you can’t bear to leave the state, but you’d like to live in an area that represents a more conservative view, with a house that is entirely utility independent, check out our home. It may be perfect for you. We have an excellent solar system, well with tasty water, a 5000-gallon storage tank, and a septic system. It has my husband’s dream shop of over 1500 square feet when you include the loft. Our goal was to have a completely off-grid home. We figured if the state went to hell in a handbag, we’d have the basic provisions and our guns. Now we just want to get as far away from it as possible.
As I walked on the trail around Lake Siskiyou, I was awestruck by God’s amazing handiwork. I asked Him a couple of times how a place that He made so beautiful could get so screwed up. The answer is pretty simple. The legislators that we voted into office are ungodly and corrupt. Christians have been asleep at the wheel. We were so worried about offending someone that we didn’t even stand up against the assault on our religious freedoms. It wasn’t just California, but we are certainly one of the bluest and looniest states in the union. But I digress. I was talking about the beauty of Lake Siskiyou.
I don’t know when you feel the closest to God, but for me, it’s when I’m admiring His handiwork. Being out in nature, especially close to water, I feel His presence in a big way. I am so grateful for His blessings. We followed the Lake Siskiyou weekend up with a visit to Lake California to spend time with our longtime friends, the Uhauld’s. We had meals together at our campsite and their house and laughed about the crazy times we used to have. We were a bunch of partying fools. We enjoy an exceptional camaraderie with them and our friends, the Frisbee’s who are the reason that we wound up in Shingletown. Linda and Dave have lived here for many years. More than twenty years have passed since we first started hanging out together in Hollister. Our lives have changed completely, but we still have a strong bond. It’s so awesome that God is the glue that keeps us all together. Back in the day, the subject of God didn’t come up often. Now He is the center of all our lives, and we are all the better for it. God is so good. He put together this ragtag bunch of people knowing that lifelong godly relationships would ensue.
God has blessed us all in many ways. For Tommy and me, it’s been the joy we’ve found in traveling in our motorhome that has completely changed our lives. If you would have told me, even five years ago, that I would be more comfortable living in a 40-foot motorhome than a house, I might have accused you of being insane. Most of my friends thought I’d be miserable. But God had a plan.
Tommy and I had only been together for a short time when I told him that we would see the United States in a motorhome one day when we retired. I didn’t give it a lot of thought before or after I said it, but 31 years later, God’s plan unfolded. He has been so good to us. His grace and mercy know no bounds.
It’s time for me to kick my lazy streak toward writing to the curb and start sharing more stories. So many of you went along with us on our first trip when I was diligently blogging. I hope you will join me again on our next chapter as we escape California. I won’t stop praying for a great awakening in the beautiful state that I was born in. When Newscum is recalled, and the church stands up to the tyranny and votes godly people into offices from the school boards to the senators, it will once again be a great place to live. We are getting old and don’t have the patience to wait for that to unfold. We can always come back and visit our native state. If you are staying in California and praying for the revival that the state needs, please do your part and let your voice be heard. If you are up for it, run for office. Whether it’s on the water board, city council, Supervisor’s office, or wherever, we need people of moral character to step up and take our state and our country back.
Thanks for hanging with me for a while. Don’t forget to pray for our nation daily. God bless, Cat
by catsblog | Feb 5, 2021 | Politics, Spiritual Growth
I haven’t written anything in so long. I was emotionally paralyzed by the election and COVID craziness. I’ve been on a roller coaster ride from hell with so many fellow patriots. We saw the support for our president continue to grow amidst the relentless attacks from the Left. We witnessed the sham impeachment and felt vindicated along with our president. After all, as his supporters, we were labeled racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and a host of other horrible names. Every time our president was vindicated, we felt vindicated. But, the attacks never stopped. When we witnessed millions of Americans’ support for our president at rally after rally, we knew President Donald J. Trump would be reelected by a landslide. I was sure that I would be celebrating along with 80 million Americans. I knew there would be attempts by the Democrats to steal our votes, but I was sure victory was certain despite it.
I never imagined that the fraud that took place would result in Biden actually taking office. Surely with all of the proof, the Supreme Court would step in, Not! Vice President Pence couldn’t possibly accept the electoral vote results with so much evidence of the steal. Then he did. Then there was the rumor of the insurrection act being used to arrest all of the crooks in Congress, including Biden and Pelosi, and Trump would remain in office. But, the hits kept coming, and on January 20th Biden was inaugurated as our 46th president.
If I’m honest about it, I’m still in shock. Like so many of my Christian family members and friends, I’d hoped that God would step in and give us a miracle to save our nation. He couldn’t possibly allow the president’s position to be stolen by evil people who cheated 80 million Americans out of the president of our choice! Alas, Biden has stepped into the Oval Office. He’s dolling out executive orders like their jelly beans. He’s undone many great things that our president did in a short time with a stroke of his pen. The pipeline he killed has obliterated tens of thousands of jobs. The cost of fuel will rise at unprecedented rates. Medication costs have skyrocketed again. Our tax dollars are not only funding abortions in America, we are now supplying the funds to other countries to kill their babies. The list is endless, so I won’t go on, but I’m scared for our country. I’ve asked so many times, “Why did you let this happen, Jesus?”
God’s ways are not our ways. I’ve wrestled with accepting the situation as being God-ordained ever since January 20th. As a Christian who studies my Bible, I know that nothing happens that God doesn’t allow. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve asked, “Why, God, why?” I’d be a rich woman. The answer I keep hearing is, “Do you trust me?” I trusted God so many times when all looked hopeless, and He’s always come through for me. He has never let me down. He’s not letting down all of the people that have prayed so fervently for our country, either. I believe that things are playing out this way so that all of the corruption and anti-American agendas can be exposed.
Just think about it. If the Supreme Court had ruled that there was voter fraud, every Trump-hating Democrat would have called it a travesty. After all, three of the justices were appointed by Trump. If Vice President Pence had refused to accept the electoral votes, the same people would be crying foul and saying what he did was unconstitutional, even though it would have been allowed under our constitution. Can you imagine if the Insurrection Act had been used to keep our president in office while the law-breaking congress members were arrested? The violence that would have erupted would have been horrific.
And so, our honorable president stepped away from the most highly-respected position in the world, even though he knew he won. He did what the Democrats never would and left the White House requesting that his supporters remain peaceful and make a non-violent transition possible. Did all of his supporters run out and riot and wreak havoc? No, we did not. We let off a lot of steam on social media sites, and many of us were sanctioned for voicing our opinions. Antifa and Black Lives Matter demonstrators destroyed entire cities and killed law enforcement officers and citizens, yet their Twitter and Facebook accounts remain. They are allowed to spew hatred, but I’m not allowed to share scriptures from the Bible. It upsets the folks at FB headquarters. They closed the accounts of the United States President and left those of evil dictators active. I don’t care if you are republican, democrat, black, white, brown, male or female, Christian or atheist; this should bother you. The right to free speech is a hallmark of our constitution, and those rights are being squashed by the big tech giants. Mainstream media lies and refuses to cover real news if it doesn’t fit their agenda. It is wrong on so many levels. Where does the madness stop?
I didn’t intend to go on a rant. I wanted to write a post that inspired the faithful to have hope. I am praying many times a day for God to bring about the changes that need to occur so that we don’t lose the country that I love to the radical, socialist agenda of the Left. I want to see the wrongs made right. I changed my question to God about why He allows all of this craziness to happen and started asking Him what I should do? The message I keep getting is to have faith in Me. Trust Me. Don’t lean on your own understanding because this will not make sense to you. I love this country. It was built on Christian principles by people who honored Me. Do not live in fear of what might happen. Rejoice in the revival that I am bringing about.
I stopped watching the news months ago, and now I’m trying to limit how much time I spend on Facebook. I’ve decided to keep my accounts because I share God there. If all of us patriotic Christ-followers dump the app, who will share Jesus with the folks who need to know Him and His Love? The real challenge is ignoring all of the negative stuff and sharing what is good and helpful. Calling Biden, Newsome, Pelosi, Romney, and the rest asshats, scum buckets, and lowlifes serves no purpose except to help me let off some steam. I want to stop, and I will need a lot of prayers to do so. When I slip up, you are welcome to call me on it.
Keep the faith. God is good, and He has a plan. I hope that His plan is to bring this country back to its roots and make it the Christ-honoring place that it once was. It may be that we have to endure more difficulties so that more souls can be saved. It’s my job to pray and believe and be salt and light. I’m going to do my best to be who God wants me to be, do what He wants me to do, and have all that He wants me to have. I hope that your prayer is the same. We are in this together, folks. It was apathy and an attitude of tolerance that brought this mess about. It took years for our country to degrade as it has, and it won’t be fixed overnight. Pray, vote, stand up for what is right, and expect the best. That’s what I’m going to do, and I hope you’ll join me in that effort.
by catsblog | Dec 18, 2020 | Growing through God's Word, Spiritual Growth
I haven’t watched any mainstream media news in months. Tommy and I decided that we had to quit because it made us so angry. They don’t cover real news anymore. Their biased agenda is sickening. Social media has followed the tactic, and despite being able to scroll past what I’d like to avoid, I still find myself getting fired up by the suppression of the real news.
Now that I’m retired, I’m spending WAY too much time scrolling through Facebook and not investing my time on more positive influences like reading my Bible. I’m not reading or writing enough, and God has placed it on my heart to fast social media for at least three days. If you’re not a Facebook junkie like me, it sounds simple, I’m sure. However, I think there are plenty of folks out there just like me. You say you’re just going to spend ten minutes checking up on friends, and before you know it, two hours have flown by. You haven’t done anything productive, and now you are either riled up about the election or COVID or very sad about people that are losing their businesses, loved ones, and fur babies.
I’m praying many times a day for all of the turmoil to end and the virus to be eradicated. I know that God has a plan in all of this. Nothing happens that He does not allow. I believe there has been a spiritual awakening in 2020 like the world has never seen. Our favorite pastors on television, the way we do church now, all report record numbers of people coming to know Christ through their television ministries. Just as many are rededicating their lives to spiritual growth and striving to make a difference in this crazy world.
Matthew 5:13-16 are scriptures we should all be concentrating on right now. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
For way too long, Christians have been putting our lights under a basket in the name of social correctness or because we didn’t want to upset folks that weren’t believers. We don’t want to be labeled as zealots. We want people to like us. As long as our ticket to heaven was punched, it was all that mattered. God did not call us to live that way. We are supposed to be salt and light. And that means sharing the gospel. 1 Peter 3:15 instructs us – But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 2 Corinthians 5:20 – We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
I’ve used Facebook in a positive way to share God’s word through devotionals and posting scriptures that spoke to my heart. What started as a one-time thing, more years ago than I can remember, became a ritual that I very seldom skip. One morning I read a scripture that blessed me, and the thought came to me that someone else might be moved by it too. I took a picture of it with my phone and posted it on my Facebook page. The next day I did it again. After a week, it was a habit to share what God had shown me in my devotional time with friends on my Facebook page.
I’ll never forget the first time someone walked up to me in Johnny’s Bar & Grill, the historic business I owned and operated for more than 22 years, and told me how much they enjoyed reading my postings. What a blessing! I was astounded. “Really,” I said. “You read my morning scripture posts?” They went on to tell me how much what I was doing had helped them. I was over the moon with joy. I was salt and light.
At the time, I was working with Sean Buckley, my Christian coach, and I couldn’t wait to tell him about it. He was happy for me and suggested that I start a Facebook group to share my devotionals. I thought that was a fabulous idea, and Love Notes from the Lord was birthed. I invited all of my friends to join my group for daily encouragement. I now have over 800 members, and it’s still growing.
As well as sharing in the group, I continued to post on my personal page. Now I was sharing two posts every day. As I said, I don’t know how long I’ve been doing it, but I can’t imagine stopping. What took ten minutes to do in the mornings before beginning my day as a bar owner has become an obsession as a retiree. If all I was doing was sharing spiritual inspiration, it wouldn’t be a problem. But now I’m spending hours viewing posts and commenting on Pelosi, Newscum, the election, and masks. I can start my day with a song in my heart, something fabulous like, “He’s a Good, Good Father,” and a skip in my step and an hour later be utterly distraught about the condition of the world. My faith and hope are sucked up by grim reports of a terrifying future.
It’s a sad situation. I’m a Christian, and my faith is in Christ, not the world. I know the One in charge, and I know that He has a wonderful plan for my life. He has blessed me in more ways than I can say. He has brought me through many harrowing situations. I know how the story ends, and we win. Good will triumph over evil, and Jesus will return to take us all home with Him.
In the meantime, it’s my job, and yours if you are a Christian, to spread joy and hope by being salt and light in a scary world. I’m continuing to pray that truth and justice win out. But, no matter what happens with COVID or the election, I know that the God I serve will take care of my family and me. He will give us the strength to endure and persevere through whatever happens. I personally believe that if Trump doesn’t remain our president and “The Steal” is allowed to take place, Jesus will be returning soon. And I want everyone that I know to be ready. I want to share my Jesus with as many people as possible before that happens.
I’m excited to see what kind of revelations God shows me when I step away from social media for a while. I have a feeling that I will pay more attention to my blessings and be more joyful. I have an excellent program called Cinchshare that allows me to schedule posts. You will still see my daily scriptures and devotionals, but not because I’m hanging out on Facebook. It would be great if some of my friends join me in the social media fast and share their experiences with me.
God bless you all, and see you on the internet in a few days.
